INTERVIEW

ART

10 Questions for … Jay Strongwater When this designer was home from college one summer, he went shopping with his mother at Bonwit Teller. Jay told her not to buy a necklace she liked. “I’ll make you one,” he told her, and he followed up on that promise with a vengeance. Jewelry was just the start of his design brand. He expanded to a home collection in the 1990s, adding a beauty collection and hand-blown glass ornaments later. The tasteful, incredibly creative designer never rests. His distinctive look has traveled literally around the world. When in Scottsdale not too long ago, he talked with Trends about his distinctive view of the world. What is your idea of perfect happiness? A few minutes in the sun. Where would you most like to live? Somewhere warm, maybe Santa Barbara. What people, living or dead, would you invite to dinner? Michelle Obama, Judy Garland and Matisse

Phoenix Art Museum Spotlight

What historical figure do you admire most? Lewis Tiffany What do you consider your greatest accomplishment? My ability to persevere the ups and down of life and balancing artistic visions with running a business. Who are your favorite designers? Oscar de la Renta for his colors and patterns and YSL. What is your current state of mind? Optimistic What’s your most cherished inanimate possession? Correspondence from my parents – just seeing their handwriting What’s your all-time favorite film? Cabaret What is your motto? If we can put a man on the moon, we can do anything.

Grand Tetons

“Ansel Adams: Discoveries,” opening Jan. 31 at Phoenix Art Museum, offers new insights into the photographer’s greatest works by bringing the unparalleled holdings of the Center for Creative Photography’s Ansel Adams archive to light. The exhibition, featuring 120 photographs and dozens of rare archival documents and materials, will allow museum visitors to explore the career and beloved photographs of one of America’s photographic masters in tremendous detail. “The goal of ‘Ansel Adams: Discoveries’ is to provide a deeper understanding of Adams’ iconic and adored photographs,” said Rebecca Senf, Norton Family Assistant Curator of Photography at the Phoenix Art Museum. “The historic material mined from the Center’s archives enriches our understanding of the artwork so that we can simultaneously show Adams’ masterpieces alongside unfamiliar works and provide new perspectives of each.” Categorized into six aspects – time, place, medium, subject, theme and role – the show highlights the photographer’s early work, his photographs of the American Southwest, his pictures of the National Parks project, his relatively unknown color photography and his architectural views. The exhibit will run through June 6. For more information visit, www.phxart.org. Moonrise

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